The short answer
Only part of the way. Most medina lanes, where the riads sit, are too narrow for any car, so a taxi drops you at the nearest point it can reach, usually a gate or a square. You walk the final few minutes, often with a porter pushing your bags on a cart. In Gueliz and Hivernage, taxis stop at the hotel door.
In more detail
The medina is a maze of derbs, narrow alleys that twist and double back. Motorbikes, donkeys and handcarts use lanes that no car could enter. That is why riads give directions from a landmark: a gate (bab), a mosque, a square, or Jemaa el-Fnaa itself.
Petit taxis heading for the square drop at the Koutoubia end of Jemaa el-Fnaa. A private driver who knows your riad will pick the closest drop-off point and walk you to the door. Many riads also send someone to meet you at the drop-off, which saves a lot of searching on the first night.
Outside the walls it is a different city. In Gueliz, Hivernage and the Palmeraie, cars pull up directly outside the hotel. If you travel with heavy bags, small children or limited mobility, weigh that when you choose where to stay.
Good to know
- Ask your riad for its nearest drop-off point by name before you arrive.
- Agree the porter's fee before he loads the cart.
- Save the riad's phone number so staff can guide a driver or porter in.